The Way

In The Way, a somewhat cynical and bitter old man (played by Martin Sheen) learns that life is a journey, and while there will inevitably be problems along the way, there is beauty everywhere. This conclusion is certainly nothing new. In fact, there's very little if anything in The Way that we haven't seen before. But Sheen's son, Emilio Estevez (who wrote, directed, and has a cameo in the film), has made a genuinely heartfelt, if not somewhat plodding, movie that should prove to be a genuine crowd pleaser.

Sheen plays Tom, an eye doctor in L.A. who, as the film opens, devotes his life to his job and hanging out with his work friends on the golf course. Whether or not he is currently married or divorced is not revealed, but he does have a son named Daniel (Estevez). We witness in flashbacks that a few years ago, Daniel quit the medical field so that he could journey around the world. Tom did not approve of the decision, and he has not spoken to his son since. But then, he receives word that Daniel was killed in a storm while backpacking across the Pyrenees Mountains. Daniel had just started out on a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile trek that people have been making for 1,000 years. Tom must fly to France to identify his son's body, and collect his ashes.

Tom's initial intention is to fly back home with the ashes after the body has been incinerated, but looking through his son's belongings and learning about the journey he was taking inspires a spur of the moment decision in Tom to complete the pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago, and to spread his son's ashes along different markers along the way. He is somewhat unprepared for the journey ahead, but at least he is not alone for long, as he meets some fellow hikers along the way. These include an overweight Dutchman (Yorick Van Wageningen), a chain-smoking woman from Canada who comes across as being very cynical, but is generally goodhearted (Deborah Kara Unger), and an Irish writer who is suffering from writer's block, and hopes the journey along the Camino de Santiago will inspire him (James Nesbitt). No prizes for guessing that this initially dysfunctional group will have many moments of soul-bearing, and end up changed for the better by the end of the journey.

The Way follows a predetermined path, but its heart is in the right place, and it has some strong performances to its credit, particularly from Sheen and Unger. This may be a feelgood movie, but at least it doesn't get trapped in syrupy sweetness, or forced sentiment. It's well made, has some gorgeous scenery, and the overall message of the film rings true. Sure, it would have been nice if the movie had been less heavy-handed in delivering that message, but I guess you can't have it all. There's also some clunky dialogue in Estevez's script, such as when Tom is told "You don't choose a life, you live one". This line comes early in the film, and it made me wince and worry about what else was to come. Fortunately, the movie ends up working as a travelogue, as well as a silent meditation on the lives of these characters Tom meets along the way.

What saves the film from falling into mediocrity are some genuinely touching moments, such as when Tom thinks he sees Daniel at different points during his journey. There are also plenty of colorful locals for Tom and his fellow travelers to interact with, so the movie never becomes monotonous. It probably could have been trimmed just a little, though. At just over two hours, the movie feels a little padded sometimes, but at least it's not terribly so. At least the picture never stalls, or stays in one place for far too long. And when Tom and his friends arrive at the end of the journey, we can understand their feelings of exhaustion and accomplishment. The emotion rings true throughout, but it's at its best at the end. The movie itself is a mixed bag, but it works enough that I'm recommending it.

The Way does what is expected, I guess. It's a quiet little spiritual film about personal journeys, and I'm sure some audience members will like it even more than I did. I admired the performances and the characters, but thought that the script stumbled a few places along the way. At least it manages to recover, which is more than what some films can do. I guess that's enough in the end.

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